ST. PAUL, Minn.---After starting off the 2016 season with a much-needed win Wednesday evening, the St. Catherine University hockey team hoped it could earn another victory and get a streak going in the new year. The Wildcats faced a tough test, though, intaking on a traditionally strong Unviersity of Wisconsin-Superior squad Friday. Despite leading to nearly the midway point of regulation, the Wildcats were forced to settle for a 1-1 tie with the Yellow Jackets in the two-game series opener at Drake Arena. 

"We're playing better hockey," said Head Coach Brad marshall. "Our intensity is there. We're possessing the puck more, so our chances are increasing. We just need to finish more of our opportunities in close to thee net. Again, we're fine with the result but not very satisfied with the result."

The score may have been even and the shots may have been close with the Wildcats holding just a 33-30 advantage when all was said and done. However, after jumping out to an early lead after a goal by Alex Pederson (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids) at 9:32 of the first period, the Wildcats controlled play for a majority of the first half of the game and even forced the Yellow Jacket bench to call a timeout early in the second. 

After being outshot 13-5 in the first period and trailing into the second, the Yellow Jackets finally gained some momentum and tied the game at 1-1 when Lynne Larson beat Wildcat goalie Abbi Whote (Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake) on a set up from Karen Larson with 10:32 remaining in the second period. 

The Yellow Jackets outshot the Wildcats 12-9 in both the second and third periods, but no one could come up with a goal which resulted in an overtime period that ended with back-to-back penalties with one on each team in the final 13 seconds forcing both teams to settle for a tie. 

White held the Wildcats in the game stopping 29 of 30 shots faced. Mallory Ryan (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill./Vitor J. Andrew) each tallied their second point of the week with assists on Pederson's first-period goal. Ryan and Annie Buttermore (Grant, Minn./Mahtomedi) led the Wildcat offense with five shots a piece, while Jordan Solheim (Thief River Falls, Minn./Thief River Falls) had four. 

With the tie, the Wildcats move to 1-7-3 on the season. The Wildcats have another date with the Yellow Jackets Saturday as they travel north for a 1 p.m. non-conference game in Superior, Wisconsin. 

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